Uterine disease in dairy cattle: monitoring and management

One critical point of dairy farm management is calving and neonatal first care. Timely calving assistance is associated with the reduction of calf mortality and postpartum uterine disease, and with improved fertility in dairy cattle. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and profitability of an intravaginal sensor for the prediction of stage II of labor in dairy farms, thus allowing proper calving assistance. Seventy-three late-gestating Italian Holstein cows were submitted to the insertion of an intravaginal device, equipped with light and temperature sensors, connected with a Central Unit for the commutation of a radio-signal into a cell phone alert. The remote calving alarm correctly identified the beginning of the expulsive phase of labor in 86.3% of the monitored cows. The mean interval from alarm to complete expulsion of the fetus was 71.56 ± 52.98 min, with a greater range in cows with dystocia (p = 0.012). The sensor worked correctly in both cold and warm weather conditions, and during day- or night-time. The intravaginal probe was well tolerated, as any cow showed lesions to the vaginal mucosa after calving. Using sex-sorted semen in heifers and beef bull semen in cows at their last lactation, the economic estimation performed through PrecisionTree™ software led to an income improvement of 119 € and 123 €/monitored delivery in primiparous and pluriparous cows, respectively. Remote calving alarm devices are key components of “precision farming” management and proven to improve animal welfare, to reduce calf losses and to increase farm incomes.

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Ovarian function and inflammatory uterine disease in dairy cattle

Japanese Journal of Large Animal Clinics ◽

10.4190/jjlac.6.215 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (Supple) ◽

pp. 215-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

T. Shimizu ◽

S. Haneda ◽

F. Magata

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cattle ◽

Ovarian Function ◽

Uterine Disease

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Tolerance and Innate Immunity Shape the Development of Postpartum Uterine Disease and the Impact of Endometritis in Dairy Cattle

Annual Review of Animal Biosciences ◽

10.1146/annurev-animal-020518-115227 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 361-384 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

I. Martin Sheldon ◽

James G. Cronin ◽

John J. Bromfield

Keyword(s):

Innate Immunity ◽

Inflammatory Response ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Resistance Mechanisms ◽

Uterine Disease ◽

Endometrial Cells ◽

Uterine Health ◽

Pathogen Burden ◽

The Impact

Bacteria are ubiquitous in the bovine uterus after parturition, but 50 years ago, cows tolerated these bacteria and few animals developed uterine disease. Now, up to 40% of dairy cattle develop postpartum uterine disease. Uterine disease causes infertility by compromising the function of not only the endometrium but also the ovary. Animals defend themselves against pathogens using tolerance and resistance mechanisms. Tolerance is the ability to limit the disease severity induced by a given pathogen burden. Resistance is the ability to limit the pathogen burden and is usually the function of immunity. Endometrial cells contribute to tolerance and have roles in innate immunity and the inflammatory response to pathogens. However, failures in endometrial tolerance and the character of the inflammatory response shape postpartum uterine disease. We propose that uterine health is more dependent on the ability of the endometrium to tolerate pathogens than the ability to resist invading bacteria.

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Effects of Retinoic Acid and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 on IFN-gamma Secretion by Mononuclear Leukocytes from Nulliparous and Postparturient Dairy Cattle

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831.70.3.92 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 70 (3) ◽

pp. 92-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Burim Ametaj ◽

Brian Nonnecke ◽

Ronald Horst ◽

Donald Beitz

Keyword(s):

Retinoic Acid ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Dairy Cow ◽

Pokeweed Mitogen ◽

Mononuclear Leukocytes ◽

Combined Effects ◽

Ifn Gamma ◽

Dihydroxyvitamin D ◽

1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D

Individual and combined effects of several isomers of retinoic acid (RA) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secretion by blood mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) from nulliparous and postparturient Holstein cattle were evaluated in vitro. In the first experiment, effects on incubation period (24 to 72 hours) and time of supplementation (0 to 32 hours) with all-trans, 9-cis, 13-cis-, and 9,13-dicis-RAs (0 to 100 nM) on IFN-gamma secretion by pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated (0 and 10 mug/ml) MNL from nulliparous cattle were evaluated. In the second experiment, MNL from postparturient cows (bled at 0, 2, 4, and 16 days postpartum) were stimulated with PWM (0 and 10 mug/ml) in the presence of RA isomers (9-cis- or 9,13-dicis-RA; 0 to 100 nM), 1,25-(OH)2D3 (0 to 100 nM), or with combinations of these metabolites. The results show that individual isomers of RA had no effect on IFN-gamma secretion by PWM-stimulated MNL from nulliparous or postparturient cows. Furthermore 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibited IFN-gamma secretion by MNL from nulliparous and postparturient dairy cows; however, the degree of inhibition was greater when 9-cis- and 9,13-dicis-RA were also present in the cultures. Finally mononuclear leukocytes from postparturient dairy cows produced substantially less IFN-gamma than did MNL from nulliparous cattle. It is concluded that retinoic acids individually did not affect the capacity of leukocytes from dairy cattle to secrete IFN-gamma. This result is in marked contrast to studies in monogastric species indicating that RAs inhibit IFN-gamma secretion by peripheral blood T cells. Inhibition of IFN-gamma secretion by 1,25-(OH)2D3 was potentiated by 9-cis- and 9,13-di-cis-retinoics acids, suggesting that an excess of dietary vitamins A and D may compromise further the naturally immunosuppressed postparturient dairy cow. Additional research is necessary to determine if the combined effects of these metabolites on IFN-gamma secretion represent an increased susceptibility of the dairy cow to infectious diseases during the periparturient period. Lower secretion of IFN-gamma by MNL from postpartutient dairy cows, relative to nulliparous cattle, suggests that recently-calved cows are naturally immunosuppressed.

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